The mission of the portal is to raise important social, economic and political issues of broadly defined East (Middle East and Eastern Europe) in the form of multimedia articles using the Talenote tool.

Our content concerns various phenomena occurring in terms of conflicting interests, competing ideologies and social inequalities that may interest a fairly diverse audience. Our ambition is to support independent and socially responsible journalism.

We try to understand global and local trends and present our message in an attractive form of audiovisual articles with the ambition to influence the imagination, sensitivity and intellect of recipients. We talk with observers of important events, participants of social processes, ordinary people as well as intellectuals and decision-makers.

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Opinions
Nasta Zakharevich

For many years I was sure that Belarus was a small country. And I was wrong

Teachers, parents, friends, and journalists have always claimed that Belarus is a small country. After all, what do you call a country with a population of 9.5 million and where the train trip from Brest to Vitebsk takes only one night? Just a “small country.” It also happened that some, as a compliment, referred to it as “little Switzerland.”

Dana Hourany

The drag queens community is revitalizing Lebanese nightlife

Discrimination and aggressive attacks have plagued the Lebanese drag queens community for a long time. But it has always emerged stronger from oppression to bring a breath of fresh air. 

Nasta Zakharevich

How Belarusians quarreled over Tsikhanouskaya’s mug

What happens when one lives under severe stress for a long time but has no leverage over those who cause it? In such circumstances, one lash out at others. It is a well-known mechanism. That’s how the psyche reacts when it needs at least a little relief. 

Dana Hourany

Gone are the days of youth in Lebanon

Lebanese are increasingly struggling with mental health problems due to the economic crisis that has torn the fabric of society. We are working to make ends meet at the expense of quality of life in an endless cycle of economic decline and further disappointments.

Nasta Zakharevich

The words “Stop the war” mean nothing

It is a popular joke among Belarusian refugees and political émigrés that one must learn to articulate one’s desires properly. After all, before, we wanted vivid experiences and unforgettable journeys. But we had something different in mind than what we got. It was, as they say, a slight nuance.

Nasta Zakharevich

We don’t need elections anymore

Elections in Belarus are pretty meaningless events. They were free only once, in 1994, when people irrationally used their right to vote and elected Alyaksandr Lukashenka as president. And he has decided that Belarusians will not have another such opportunity in the coming years.

Dana Hourany

Reconnecting with Lebanon through nature

As night fell over the forest, a gentle wind began to blow. About 30 people gathered for a hike with a company specializing in local hiking events. It was the night of the full moon, which illuminated our way. 

Nasta Zakharevich

Why do I believe that propaganda should be banned?

A few weeks ago, my mother asked me about NATO’s nuclear deterrence exercises, as Russian propaganda reported that they would take place near Russia’s border. However, the exercises, which, by the way, are routine, are taking place in northwestern Europe. My mother does not believe in the Kremlin’s propaganda, but she does have some second thoughts from time to time. 

Dana Hourany

Lebanon’s care for the environment. A deception or hope for the future?

When walking the streets of Lebanese cities, it’s easy to see the diversity in architecture. There is also a distinctive novelty: solar panels on the roofs of many buildings. 

Nasta Zakharevich

Lukashenka is punishing journalists for the truth about Ukraine

Sitting on two chairs at once is Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s favorite game. If you try to determine his position based on his statements, you will not succeed. However, there is a way to figure out which side he is on in any given conflict.

Nasta Zakharevich

Why I don’t mourn Mikhail Gorbachev

When Mikhail Gorbachev, the first and last president of the USSR, died, social networks, as happens in such cases, were filled with obituaries and words about how terrible his death was. These obituaries were often entirely detached from reality. They made me think that someone might write on the spur of the moment, “Why do the best ones pass away so early?” even though Gorbachev died at 91.

Memet Aksakal

Losing the support of the people, Erdogan has tied his hopes to nationalism

As Turkey’s economic crisis deepens and supports in the polls wanes, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been left with no choice but to foment nationalist sentiment in hopes of another electoral victory. Therefore, another crisis has erupted in Turkey’s relations with Greece.

Nasta Zakharevich

About how we lose each other

I left Belarus in December 2020. Then, it seemed that the revolution would soon prevail, and we would all be able to come home. But the harsher the repression in Belarus becomes, the more the rift between those who left and settled in new places and those who chose to stay grows.

Nasta Zakharevich

Institutional centralization. Belarusian center and periphery

Belarus’ capital is home to almost all of the country’s major institutions: the largest universities, specialized medical centers, the most important museums and theaters. It is also the seat of an extremely centralized government. How does Belarusian ‘institutional centralization’ affect other regions of the country?

Anton Trafimovich

Belarusian IT community: a new political force and a victim of Lukashenka’s regime persecution

During the 2020 presidential election in Belarus, thousands of IT workers joined the political life of the country. They developed applications for fair vote counting, took part in protests, and made donations to support victims of repressions. But after a harsh crackdown on protesters, authorities have targeted the IT community.

Kate Baklitskaya

Will Ukraine become a leader in the global cryptocurrency market?

Ukraine is on its way to set up rules for digital currencies. The government hopes that new legislation will attract foreign investments and bring revenue to the budget.

Joanna Ujek

Neom City-state: Saudi Arabia’s futuristic project threatens the existance of one of the coutry’s oldest tribes

Saudi Arabia plans to build a futuristic business zone NEOM along the Red Sea coast and the first major step will be to create a zero-carbon city called The Line. The investment is part of the Vision 2030 program which aims to diversify the country’s revenues and strengthen its economy so that in the future Saudi Arabia can become a “global investment powerhouse”.

Articles
Dana Hourany
07 / 01 / 2024

Echoes of the haunting past. Fear and the possibility of another war in Lebanon


Nasta Zakharevich
26 / 04 / 2023

Combating cigarette smuggling from Belarus. A serious challenge for European Union


Nasta Zakharevich
07 / 04 / 2023

History repeats itself. Vilnius as the second capital of Belarusians 


Dana Hourany
30 / 03 / 2023

The art scene in Lebanon. Resilience, persistence, and healing


Nasta Zakharevich
16 / 03 / 2023

The Lukashenka regime ramps up terror campaign against the civil society


Dana Hourany
09 / 03 / 2023

United in pain. Lebanese mobilized to help Syrians after the earthquake


Nasta Zakharevich 
25 / 02 / 2023

Time of truth. Many Belarusians will never return from exile


Dana Hourany 
16 / 02 / 2023

E-commerce. A new lifeline for Lebanon’s economy 


Jad Jibae
10 / 02 / 2023

Another casualty of war. Who is saving Syrian cultural heritage from destruction and looting?


Nasta Zakharevich
31 / 01 / 2023

How did a Soviet-era tank monument stir up controversy in Estonia?


Stella Martany
21 / 01 / 2023

Liberation of art in Mosul. A taste of freedom after 25 years of oppression


Jad Jibae
11 / 01 / 2023

Beyond extremism, exclusion, and suffering. Syrian civil society ahead of a major test


Tuna Murat
07 / 01 / 2023

Turkish TV series phenomenon. The charm of soft power and the new Ottoman dream


Nasta Zakharevich
03 / 01 / 2023

Belarus struggles with excessive alcohol consumption


Dana Hourany
29 / 12 / 2022

Dollarization of economy as remedy for Lebanon’s woes


Nasta Zakharevich
27 / 12 / 2022

Internal tensions divide Belarus. Past and present written in two different languages


Marian Prysiazhniuk
22 / 12 / 2022

Ukraine struggles with the blackout. How to adapt to the new, fragile reality?


Jad Jibae
17 / 12 / 2022

Media activists in a minefield. How is the civil war transforming journalism in Syria?


Nasta Zakharevich
13 / 12 / 2022

The cold is coming. Volunteers expect a new wave of Ukrainian refugees


Nasta Zakharevich 
09 / 12 / 2022

Silent heroes stand up for stray dogs and cats in Belarus


Anna Cieślewska
07 / 12 / 2022

Between Georgia and Armenia. Families mourn their fathers and sons after the Nagorno-Karabakh war


Nasta Zakharevich
02 / 12 / 2022

State security first. How did the Russian invasion of Ukraine change Latvia’s immigration policy?


Marian Prysiazhniuk
30 / 11 / 2022

Shoulder to shoulder with Ukrainians. Chechens on another battlefield against Russia


Memet Aksakal
25 / 11 / 2022

Turkey blames Kurdish militants for Istanbul bombing


Merwan Shadian
22 / 11 / 2022

Massive protests sweep through Iran. What will the regime do to hold on to power?


Marian Prysiazhniuk
18 / 11 / 2022

Confronting true darkness in Kyiv


Dana Hourany
16 / 11 / 2022

The end of the Michel Aoun era and the future of the Lebanese presidency


Nasta Zakharevich
11 / 11 / 2022

Transit hub for refugees in Latvia. Volunteers help Ukrainians on their way to the West


Jad Jibae
09 / 11 / 2022

The ghost of hunger looms over the land of wheat


Anna Cieślewska
04 / 11 / 2022

On the verge of an anti-government revolt. What is behind the protests in Dagestan? 


Memet Aksakal
01 / 11 / 2022

Why does the Kurdistan Workers’ Party continue its armed struggle?


Nasta Zakharevich
28 / 10 / 2022

If war comes tomorrow. How do Latvians live next to Russia? 


Nasta Zakharevich
25 / 10 / 2022

Do Belarusians support Ukraine?


Memet Aksakal
20 / 10 / 2022

 The Turkey-Libya deal raises the stakes in the game for the Mediterranean region


Jad Jibae
18 / 10 / 2022

A backpack full of memories. Critical challenges to migrants’ cultural identity


Nasta Zakharevich
14 / 10 / 2022

Window to the world. The triumphs and troubles of Telegram in Belarus


Memet Aksakal
11 / 10 / 2022

Erdogan’s policy puts Turkey at risk of economic collapse


Nasta Zakharevich
06 / 10 / 2022

Belarusian dystopia. How is the regime cracking down on journalists?


Marian Prysiazhniuk
04 / 10 / 2022

Putin uses food supplies to blackmail the world. How does Ukraine respond to this threat?


Memet Aksakal
27 / 09 / 2022

The game of northern Syria. Will Erdogan slam the NATO door on Sweden and Finland to achieve his goal?


Dana Hourany
22 / 09 / 2022

What does the future hold for Lebanon’s Sunni community? 


Jad Jibae
16 / 09 / 2022

How Syria’s lost generation struggles to keep dreams alive


Nasta Zakharevich
13 / 09 / 2022

Lukashenka regime’s ideology demolishes the foundations of the education system


Memet Aksakal
09 / 09 / 2022

Erdogan’s electoral dilemma. Will refugees be sent back to Syria?


Dana Hourany
06 / 09 / 2022

Struggling to preserve collective memory in Beirut’s port silos


Memet Aksakal
01 / 09 / 2022

Turkey’s diplomatic U-turn. Will Ankara achieve its strategic goals?


Nasta Zakharevich
30 / 08 / 2022

Between state control and rebellion. Sport in Belarus on a downward spiral


Dana Hourany
25 / 08 / 2022

Green opportunity for Lebanon. How can the eco-generation make a real difference?


Jad Jibae
23 / 08 / 2022

The Druze in Syria: A tale of everlasting hopes and enduring fears


Heybar Othman
18 / 08 / 2022

Children of ‘unknown fathers’. The uncertain fate of the stateless in Syria


Memet Aksakal
16 / 08 / 2022

The complexities of neo-Ottoman geopolitics. Why is Turkey trying so hard to maintain its foothold in Libya? 


Layla Yammine
12 / 08 / 2022

Lebanon’s double crisis. Economy and higher education put to the ultimate test


Nasta Zakharevich
21 / 06 / 2022

Belarusian Rail War. Partisans on the cyber front line


Anton Trafimovich
31 / 05 / 2022

What it was like to work for Lukashenka for 6 years. Behind the scenes of the Belarusian regime


Nasta Zakharevich
27 / 05 / 2022

Climate change in Belarus. What is the strategy for the coming years?


Jad Jibae
25 / 05 / 2022

Could the war contribute to Syrian women’s liberation?


Jad Jibae
23 / 05 / 2022

Waiting for the Syrian Spring to come


Heybar Othman
12 / 05 / 2022

In the shadow of the terrorist caliphate. The Islamic State returns to the battlefield


Stella Martany
29 / 04 / 2022

The trail of the desperate. How Kurds risk their lives to get to the West


Nasta Zakharevich
25 / 04 / 2022

The campaign of repression continues. Lukashenka’s regime destroys the third sector


Nasta Zakharevich
22 / 04 / 2022

Will Belarusian traditional culture survive?


Nasta Zakharevich
20 / 04 / 2022

Government statistics and ‘dead souls’. Why is the unemployment rate in Belarus so low?


Eylem Yilmaz
13 / 04 / 2022

The difficult art of keeping balance. Turkey faces a hard choice


Anton Trafimovich
13 / 04 / 2022

Kazakh lesson for Lukashenka


Heybar Othman
20 / 02 / 2022

The stigma of terrorism. Wives and children of the Islamic State


Klara Morozova
20 / 02 / 2022

The campaign of disinformation and insults. How Belarusian propaganda defames Ukraine’s image


Kate Baklitskaya
31 / 01 / 2022

Will Russia invade Ukraine and what can Kyiv do?


Masooma Sultani
26 / 01 / 2022

Desperate fight for Afghan women’s rights


Eylem Yılmaz
15 / 01 / 2022

Student protest at Bogazici University. Huge challenge for Erdogan


Ehsanullah Ziyayi
22 / 12 / 2021

The Only Hope is to Get Back Home


Eastory Team in Afghanistan
20 / 12 / 2021

Money and the promise of land. Reward from the Taliban for families of suicide bombers


Anton Trafimovich
15 / 12 / 2021

Lukashenka’s hybrid war. Migration crisis on the EU-Belarus border escalates


Nasta Zakharevich
14 / 12 / 2021

Who is Volha Harbunova and why her arrest is a disaster for Belarusian women


Nasta Zakharevich
06 / 12 / 2021

The dispute over Lukashenka’s nuclear power plant. Another chapter of Russia’s geopolitical game


Rozuldin Ayazi
05 / 12 / 2021

Panjshir Valley: A new reality under the Taliban rule


Agnieszka Pawnik
03 / 12 / 2021

How Covid-19 is changing Japanese corporate culture


Kate Baklitskaya
03 / 12 / 2021

Will war games help Ukraine win the conflict with Russia?


Eylem Yılmaz
03 / 12 / 2021

Risky political game. What will be Turkey’s role in Afghanistan?


15 / 11 / 2021

44 days of war. How did the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict unite Javakhians?


Joanna Ujek
21 / 10 / 2021

How the covid-19 pandemic is slowing the progress in reducing child marriage all over the world


Justyna Borycka
13 / 10 / 2021

Who Will Solve the Ecological Issues of South-East Asia?


Rima Marangozyan
11 / 02 / 2021

And What Now? Nagorno-Karabakh 2020 War and the Aftermath


Highlights

Articles

Dana Hourany
07 / 01 / 2024

Echoes of the haunting past. Fear and the possibility of another war in Lebanon

Nasta Zakharevich
26 / 04 / 2023

Combating cigarette smuggling from Belarus. A serious challenge for European Union

Nasta Zakharevich
07 / 04 / 2023

History repeats itself. Vilnius as the second capital of Belarusians 

Dana Hourany
30 / 03 / 2023

The art scene in Lebanon. Resilience, persistence, and healing

Nasta Zakharevich
16 / 03 / 2023

The Lukashenka regime ramps up terror campaign against the civil society

Dana Hourany
09 / 03 / 2023

United in pain. Lebanese mobilized to help Syrians after the earthquake

Nasta Zakharevich 
25 / 02 / 2023

Time of truth. Many Belarusians will never return from exile

Dana Hourany 
16 / 02 / 2023

E-commerce. A new lifeline for Lebanon’s economy 

Jad Jibae
10 / 02 / 2023

Another casualty of war. Who is saving Syrian cultural heritage from destruction and looting?

Nasta Zakharevich
31 / 01 / 2023

How did a Soviet-era tank monument stir up controversy in Estonia?

Stella Martany
21 / 01 / 2023

Liberation of art in Mosul. A taste of freedom after 25 years of oppression

Jad Jibae
11 / 01 / 2023

Beyond extremism, exclusion, and suffering. Syrian civil society ahead of a major test

Tuna Murat
07 / 01 / 2023

Turkish TV series phenomenon. The charm of soft power and the new Ottoman dream

Nasta Zakharevich
03 / 01 / 2023

Belarus struggles with excessive alcohol consumption

Dana Hourany
29 / 12 / 2022

Dollarization of economy as remedy for Lebanon’s woes

Nasta Zakharevich
27 / 12 / 2022

Internal tensions divide Belarus. Past and present written in two different languages

Marian Prysiazhniuk
22 / 12 / 2022

Ukraine struggles with the blackout. How to adapt to the new, fragile reality?

Jad Jibae
17 / 12 / 2022

Media activists in a minefield. How is the civil war transforming journalism in Syria?

Nasta Zakharevich
13 / 12 / 2022

The cold is coming. Volunteers expect a new wave of Ukrainian refugees

Nasta Zakharevich 
09 / 12 / 2022

Silent heroes stand up for stray dogs and cats in Belarus

Anna Cieślewska
07 / 12 / 2022

Between Georgia and Armenia. Families mourn their fathers and sons after the Nagorno-Karabakh war

Nasta Zakharevich
02 / 12 / 2022

State security first. How did the Russian invasion of Ukraine change Latvia’s immigration policy?

Marian Prysiazhniuk
30 / 11 / 2022

Shoulder to shoulder with Ukrainians. Chechens on another battlefield against Russia

Memet Aksakal
25 / 11 / 2022

Turkey blames Kurdish militants for Istanbul bombing

Merwan Shadian
22 / 11 / 2022

Massive protests sweep through Iran. What will the regime do to hold on to power?

Marian Prysiazhniuk
18 / 11 / 2022

Confronting true darkness in Kyiv

Dana Hourany
16 / 11 / 2022

The end of the Michel Aoun era and the future of the Lebanese presidency

Nasta Zakharevich
11 / 11 / 2022

Transit hub for refugees in Latvia. Volunteers help Ukrainians on their way to the West

Jad Jibae
09 / 11 / 2022

The ghost of hunger looms over the land of wheat

Anna Cieślewska
04 / 11 / 2022

On the verge of an anti-government revolt. What is behind the protests in Dagestan? 

Memet Aksakal
01 / 11 / 2022

Why does the Kurdistan Workers’ Party continue its armed struggle?

Nasta Zakharevich
28 / 10 / 2022

If war comes tomorrow. How do Latvians live next to Russia? 

Nasta Zakharevich
25 / 10 / 2022

Do Belarusians support Ukraine?

Memet Aksakal
20 / 10 / 2022

 The Turkey-Libya deal raises the stakes in the game for the Mediterranean region

Jad Jibae
18 / 10 / 2022

A backpack full of memories. Critical challenges to migrants’ cultural identity

Nasta Zakharevich
14 / 10 / 2022

Window to the world. The triumphs and troubles of Telegram in Belarus

Memet Aksakal
11 / 10 / 2022

Erdogan’s policy puts Turkey at risk of economic collapse

Nasta Zakharevich
06 / 10 / 2022

Belarusian dystopia. How is the regime cracking down on journalists?

Marian Prysiazhniuk
04 / 10 / 2022

Putin uses food supplies to blackmail the world. How does Ukraine respond to this threat?

Memet Aksakal
27 / 09 / 2022

The game of northern Syria. Will Erdogan slam the NATO door on Sweden and Finland to achieve his goal?

Dana Hourany
22 / 09 / 2022

What does the future hold for Lebanon’s Sunni community? 

Jad Jibae
16 / 09 / 2022

How Syria’s lost generation struggles to keep dreams alive

Nasta Zakharevich
13 / 09 / 2022

Lukashenka regime’s ideology demolishes the foundations of the education system

Memet Aksakal
09 / 09 / 2022

Erdogan’s electoral dilemma. Will refugees be sent back to Syria?

Dana Hourany
06 / 09 / 2022

Struggling to preserve collective memory in Beirut’s port silos

Memet Aksakal
01 / 09 / 2022

Turkey’s diplomatic U-turn. Will Ankara achieve its strategic goals?

Nasta Zakharevich
30 / 08 / 2022

Between state control and rebellion. Sport in Belarus on a downward spiral

Dana Hourany
25 / 08 / 2022

Green opportunity for Lebanon. How can the eco-generation make a real difference?

Jad Jibae
23 / 08 / 2022

The Druze in Syria: A tale of everlasting hopes and enduring fears

Heybar Othman
18 / 08 / 2022

Children of ‘unknown fathers’. The uncertain fate of the stateless in Syria

Memet Aksakal
16 / 08 / 2022

The complexities of neo-Ottoman geopolitics. Why is Turkey trying so hard to maintain its foothold in Libya? 

Layla Yammine
12 / 08 / 2022

Lebanon’s double crisis. Economy and higher education put to the ultimate test

Nasta Zakharevich
21 / 06 / 2022

Belarusian Rail War. Partisans on the cyber front line

Anton Trafimovich
31 / 05 / 2022

What it was like to work for Lukashenka for 6 years. Behind the scenes of the Belarusian regime

Nasta Zakharevich
27 / 05 / 2022

Climate change in Belarus. What is the strategy for the coming years?

Jad Jibae
25 / 05 / 2022

Could the war contribute to Syrian women’s liberation?

Jad Jibae
23 / 05 / 2022

Waiting for the Syrian Spring to come

Heybar Othman
12 / 05 / 2022

In the shadow of the terrorist caliphate. The Islamic State returns to the battlefield

Stella Martany
29 / 04 / 2022

The trail of the desperate. How Kurds risk their lives to get to the West

Nasta Zakharevich
25 / 04 / 2022

The campaign of repression continues. Lukashenka’s regime destroys the third sector

Nasta Zakharevich
22 / 04 / 2022

Will Belarusian traditional culture survive?

Nasta Zakharevich
20 / 04 / 2022

Government statistics and ‘dead souls’. Why is the unemployment rate in Belarus so low?

Eylem Yilmaz
13 / 04 / 2022

The difficult art of keeping balance. Turkey faces a hard choice

Anton Trafimovich
13 / 04 / 2022

Kazakh lesson for Lukashenka

Heybar Othman
20 / 02 / 2022

The stigma of terrorism. Wives and children of the Islamic State

Klara Morozova
20 / 02 / 2022

The campaign of disinformation and insults. How Belarusian propaganda defames Ukraine’s image

Kate Baklitskaya
31 / 01 / 2022

Will Russia invade Ukraine and what can Kyiv do?

Masooma Sultani
26 / 01 / 2022

Desperate fight for Afghan women’s rights

Eylem Yılmaz
15 / 01 / 2022

Student protest at Bogazici University. Huge challenge for Erdogan

Ehsanullah Ziyayi
22 / 12 / 2021

The Only Hope is to Get Back Home

Eastory Team in Afghanistan
20 / 12 / 2021

Money and the promise of land. Reward from the Taliban for families of suicide bombers

Anton Trafimovich
15 / 12 / 2021

Lukashenka’s hybrid war. Migration crisis on the EU-Belarus border escalates

Nasta Zakharevich
14 / 12 / 2021

Who is Volha Harbunova and why her arrest is a disaster for Belarusian women

Nasta Zakharevich
06 / 12 / 2021

The dispute over Lukashenka’s nuclear power plant. Another chapter of Russia’s geopolitical game

Rozuldin Ayazi
05 / 12 / 2021

Panjshir Valley: A new reality under the Taliban rule

Agnieszka Pawnik
03 / 12 / 2021

How Covid-19 is changing Japanese corporate culture

Kate Baklitskaya
03 / 12 / 2021

Will war games help Ukraine win the conflict with Russia?

Eylem Yılmaz
03 / 12 / 2021

Risky political game. What will be Turkey’s role in Afghanistan?

15 / 11 / 2021

44 days of war. How did the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict unite Javakhians?

Joanna Ujek
21 / 10 / 2021

How the covid-19 pandemic is slowing the progress in reducing child marriage all over the world

Justyna Borycka
13 / 10 / 2021

Who Will Solve the Ecological Issues of South-East Asia?

Rima Marangozyan
11 / 02 / 2021

And What Now? Nagorno-Karabakh 2020 War and the Aftermath

See more

Opinions

Nasta Zakharevich
11 / 03 / 2023

For many years I was sure that Belarus was a small country. And I was wrong

Teachers, parents, friends, and journalists have always claimed that Belarus is a small country. After all, what do you call a country with a population of 9.5 million and where the train trip from Brest to Vitebsk takes only one night? Just a “small country.” It also happened that some, as a compliment, referred to it as “little Switzerland.”

Dana Hourany
04 / 03 / 2023

The drag queens community is revitalizing Lebanese nightlife

Discrimination and aggressive attacks have plagued the Lebanese drag queens community for a long time. But it has always emerged stronger from oppression to bring a breath of fresh air. 

Nasta Zakharevich
22 / 02 / 2023

How Belarusians quarreled over Tsikhanouskaya’s mug

What happens when one lives under severe stress for a long time but has no leverage over those who cause it? In such circumstances, one lash out at others. It is a well-known mechanism. That’s how the psyche reacts when it needs at least a little relief. 

Dana Hourany
09 / 02 / 2023

Gone are the days of youth in Lebanon

Lebanese are increasingly struggling with mental health problems due to the economic crisis that has torn the fabric of society. We are working to make ends meet at the expense of quality of life in an endless cycle of economic decline and further disappointments.

Nasta Zakharevich
04 / 02 / 2023

The words “Stop the war” mean nothing

It is a popular joke among Belarusian refugees and political émigrés that one must learn to articulate one’s desires properly. After all, before, we wanted vivid experiences and unforgettable journeys. But we had something different in mind than what we got. It was, as they say, a slight nuance.

Nasta Zakharevich
22 / 12 / 2022

We don’t need elections anymore

Elections in Belarus are pretty meaningless events. They were free only once, in 1994, when people irrationally used their right to vote and elected Alyaksandr Lukashenka as president. And he has decided that Belarusians will not have another such opportunity in the coming years.

Dana Hourany
01 / 12 / 2022

Reconnecting with Lebanon through nature

As night fell over the forest, a gentle wind began to blow. About 30 people gathered for a hike with a company specializing in local hiking events. It was the night of the full moon, which illuminated our way. 

Nasta Zakharevich
04 / 11 / 2022

Why do I believe that propaganda should be banned?

A few weeks ago, my mother asked me about NATO’s nuclear deterrence exercises, as Russian propaganda reported that they would take place near Russia’s border. However, the exercises, which, by the way, are routine, are taking place in northwestern Europe. My mother does not believe in the Kremlin’s propaganda, but she does have some second thoughts from time to time. 

Dana Hourany
20 / 10 / 2022

Lebanon’s care for the environment. A deception or hope for the future?

When walking the streets of Lebanese cities, it’s easy to see the diversity in architecture. There is also a distinctive novelty: solar panels on the roofs of many buildings. 

Nasta Zakharevich
12 / 10 / 2022

Lukashenka is punishing journalists for the truth about Ukraine

Sitting on two chairs at once is Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s favorite game. If you try to determine his position based on his statements, you will not succeed. However, there is a way to figure out which side he is on in any given conflict.

Nasta Zakharevich
01 / 10 / 2022

Why I don’t mourn Mikhail Gorbachev

When Mikhail Gorbachev, the first and last president of the USSR, died, social networks, as happens in such cases, were filled with obituaries and words about how terrible his death was. These obituaries were often entirely detached from reality. They made me think that someone might write on the spur of the moment, “Why do the best ones pass away so early?” even though Gorbachev died at 91.

Memet Aksakal
22 / 09 / 2022

Losing the support of the people, Erdogan has tied his hopes to nationalism

As Turkey’s economic crisis deepens and supports in the polls wanes, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been left with no choice but to foment nationalist sentiment in hopes of another electoral victory. Therefore, another crisis has erupted in Turkey’s relations with Greece.

Nasta Zakharevich
12 / 09 / 2022

About how we lose each other

I left Belarus in December 2020. Then, it seemed that the revolution would soon prevail, and we would all be able to come home. But the harsher the repression in Belarus becomes, the more the rift between those who left and settled in new places and those who chose to stay grows.

Nasta Zakharevich
27 / 04 / 2022

Institutional centralization. Belarusian center and periphery

Belarus’ capital is home to almost all of the country’s major institutions: the largest universities, specialized medical centers, the most important museums and theaters. It is also the seat of an extremely centralized government. How does Belarusian ‘institutional centralization’ affect other regions of the country?

Anton Trafimovich
06 / 01 / 2022

Belarusian IT community: a new political force and a victim of Lukashenka’s regime persecution

During the 2020 presidential election in Belarus, thousands of IT workers joined the political life of the country. They developed applications for fair vote counting, took part in protests, and made donations to support victims of repressions. But after a harsh crackdown on protesters, authorities have targeted the IT community.

Kate Baklitskaya
02 / 12 / 2021

Will Ukraine become a leader in the global cryptocurrency market?

Ukraine is on its way to set up rules for digital currencies. The government hopes that new legislation will attract foreign investments and bring revenue to the budget.

Joanna Ujek
14 / 10 / 2021

Neom City-state: Saudi Arabia’s futuristic project threatens the existance of one of the coutry’s oldest tribes

Saudi Arabia plans to build a futuristic business zone NEOM along the Red Sea coast and the first major step will be to create a zero-carbon city called The Line. The investment is part of the Vision 2030 program which aims to diversify the country’s revenues and strengthen its economy so that in the future Saudi Arabia can become a “global investment powerhouse”.

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